1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:02,600 Would you connect your faith with mine as we trust the Holy 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:06,300 Spirit to help us? Lord, we do pray humbly before 3 00:00:06,300 --> 00:00:08,000 you. We thank you for this building 4 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:12,200 for this room, for the people that are here, filling this 5 00:00:12,200 --> 00:00:14,900 place. Well, we look to you as the 6 00:00:14,900 --> 00:00:17,200 Living God. There is no doubt in us. 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:20,000 That you are the real God. The true God. 8 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:24,100 The only God but we believe that what we have in our hands is 9 00:00:24,100 --> 00:00:28,100 your word, but we also understand that this word apart 10 00:00:28,100 --> 00:00:30,900 from the spirit will not move us. 11 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:36,200 Will not change us and so we ask that the holy spirit's help his 12 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:38,500 power. The same holy spirit that 13 00:00:38,500 --> 00:00:41,200 anointed the sun while he was on Earth. 14 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:45,200 We pray for that anointing to be known in this place. 15 00:00:46,300 --> 00:00:49,500 And so Lord, we confess our weakness and our dependency on 16 00:00:49,500 --> 00:00:52,000 you. We know that what will make this 17 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:56,800 time effective is not eloquence nor will it be any personality? 18 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:58,700 It will be the power of the holy spirit. 19 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:03,200 So we confess that and we trust that he will meet us here. 20 00:01:04,099 --> 00:01:08,500 May the Son of God be glorified in our midst and Jesus name we 21 00:01:08,500 --> 00:01:09,800 pray. Amen. 22 00:01:11,900 --> 00:01:20,400 Mark 426. And he said, the kingdom of God 23 00:01:21,300 --> 00:01:26,900 is, as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, he sleeps 24 00:01:27,500 --> 00:01:33,300 and Rises night and day and the seed sprouts and grows. 25 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:39,000 He knows not how the Earth produces by itself. 26 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:45,500 First the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 27 00:01:46,900 --> 00:01:51,300 But when the grain is ripe at once he puts in the sickle 28 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:58,200 because the Harvest has come You can imagine the range of 29 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:02,900 emotions that disciples felt up to this point of hearing, their 30 00:02:02,900 --> 00:02:08,000 Messiah, the Messiah, explain after one Parable following the 31 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:13,300 next principles and foundational truths concerning the kingdom of 32 00:02:13,300 --> 00:02:16,000 God. The kingdom that was prophesied 33 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,900 about the kingdom that was long-awaited, the kingdom that 34 00:02:18,900 --> 00:02:23,500 would establish a people and Redemption for the world. 35 00:02:24,100 --> 00:02:27,700 Here they are as these pupils. Soaking in everything that their 36 00:02:27,700 --> 00:02:31,000 teacher is saying. And again, it makes you wonder 37 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,800 what they felt. Surely. 38 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:38,700 There was excitement, surely there was curiosity and perhaps 39 00:02:38,700 --> 00:02:42,900 there was even uncertainty because as Jesus is teaching, 40 00:02:43,700 --> 00:02:46,100 it's not far-fetched to imagine that. 41 00:02:46,500 --> 00:02:51,700 These disciples are perhaps feeling concern concern that 42 00:02:51,700 --> 00:02:57,200 could be one growing thought because With this Revelation is 43 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:59,200 coming. The realization of the great 44 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:03,100 responsibility, that is being placed upon their shoulders 45 00:03:03,800 --> 00:03:05,900 here. They are being prepared. 46 00:03:06,100 --> 00:03:10,100 After being selected to launch out into the world. 47 00:03:10,100 --> 00:03:13,200 With a truth with the aim of saving. 48 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:17,900 Souls of seeing people, converted of seeing people who 49 00:03:17,900 --> 00:03:20,500 also be included in this Kingdom. 50 00:03:22,500 --> 00:03:26,700 I mean, imagine being a pioneer of a movement that has been 51 00:03:26,700 --> 00:03:31,200 planned from eternity past. Imagine being one of the 52 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:35,200 founders. So to speak of this message, 53 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:39,700 going forth, that will recruit and win people the masses to 54 00:03:39,700 --> 00:03:44,400 Salvation. These disciples perhaps sought 55 00:03:44,400 --> 00:03:47,900 to themselves. Do I have what it takes? 56 00:03:48,700 --> 00:03:52,800 What is required of me? How can I ensure success? 57 00:03:53,700 --> 00:03:55,700 Do I need to adopt some kind of a method? 58 00:03:55,700 --> 00:03:58,900 Do I need to make this message more palatable, more acceptable, 59 00:03:58,900 --> 00:04:02,300 more attractive? What is it that I can do to make 60 00:04:02,300 --> 00:04:04,800 sure that I will not fail in this Grand? 61 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,800 Task that the Son of God is commissioning me too. 62 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,000 And whether or not the disciples were thinking such thoughts, 63 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:19,000 Jesus, the Lord Jesus the Chief Cornerstone Usher's them through 64 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:23,300 this parable. Of a truth that would bring them 65 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:27,600 relief. Bringing them a Repose a 66 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:30,100 comfort. Something that would not just 67 00:04:30,100 --> 00:04:32,700 last for the moment but something that they can hold on 68 00:04:32,700 --> 00:04:36,300 to for the rest of their Ministry on Earth. 69 00:04:38,100 --> 00:04:42,300 Jesus gives this teaching to his disciples, for the sole purpose 70 00:04:42,500 --> 00:04:46,900 of reminding them how success will come. 71 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:51,900 How the growth of the kingdom of God will occur. 72 00:04:53,400 --> 00:04:55,200 And you. And I here today who are true, 73 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,600 Servants of God will also benefit greatly from what the 74 00:04:58,600 --> 00:05:02,800 Lord here, has to say you and I hear or eager to see fruit, 75 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:05,500 whether or not you are part of a certain Ministry, whether your 76 00:05:05,500 --> 00:05:08,300 family is your ministry. Whether you're part of some kind 77 00:05:08,300 --> 00:05:12,500 of Evangelistic Endeavor outside of these walls or you serve 78 00:05:12,500 --> 00:05:17,500 Within These Walls, every True Believer has a desire to see 79 00:05:17,500 --> 00:05:22,200 fruit in their labor Every True Believer truly wants to see the 80 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:25,400 people that they come in contact with that God providentially 81 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,300 leads into their lives, to be changed to be transformed. 82 00:05:28,300 --> 00:05:32,500 They want to see Souls rescued and they also simultaneously 83 00:05:32,500 --> 00:05:38,300 want to see the saved mature in Christ likeness And what we see 84 00:05:38,300 --> 00:05:40,600 here is that Jesus provides the formula. 85 00:05:41,700 --> 00:05:45,600 He gives them insight and the goal of this. 86 00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:49,900 The emphasis of this is that through this Revelation, they 87 00:05:49,900 --> 00:05:55,000 would know an inward rest that they would be able to battle 88 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:58,700 discouragement that they would be able to overcome doubts, that 89 00:05:58,700 --> 00:06:01,700 they would be able to silence all suspicion and they would be 90 00:06:01,700 --> 00:06:04,600 able to with longevity to continue serving God. 91 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,800 Knowing this truth is ringing in their ears. 92 00:06:09,300 --> 00:06:13,200 And there's many ways of dissecting these verses to help 93 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:18,300 us understand how it is that God's work multiplies. 94 00:06:18,300 --> 00:06:23,900 How it is that God's word grows and brings about results but I 95 00:06:23,907 --> 00:06:26,600 want to simplify it. I want to make it as simple as 96 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:30,200 possible and I believe the simplest way of understanding, 97 00:06:30,300 --> 00:06:32,500 what Jesus is trying to communicate here, not just to 98 00:06:32,500 --> 00:06:36,100 his disciples, but to us today, is that there is two sides to 99 00:06:36,100 --> 00:06:39,400 this thing. There is one human 100 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:43,300 responsibility. And to, there is the realization 101 00:06:43,300 --> 00:06:46,200 of divine sovereignty. That's it. 102 00:06:46,500 --> 00:06:49,400 If you can remember, those two things moving forward, you will 103 00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:51,900 understand how it is that God's work. 104 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:56,900 Multiplies human responsibility, Divine sovereignty. 105 00:06:57,400 --> 00:07:00,800 And here is what impresses me of this Parable that we just read. 106 00:07:01,700 --> 00:07:06,400 It's only found in mark. This and another Parable and 107 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:09,900 Mark chapter 13 are exclusive to this gospel writer. 108 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:12,000 You will not find what we just read in. 109 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:15,900 John Matthew, you will not find it in Luke and that is by the 110 00:07:15,900 --> 00:07:19,800 design of the author. Because remember the whole 111 00:07:19,900 --> 00:07:23,400 construct of this book, the whole theme of Mark is to 112 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:28,400 portray the Son of God as the perfect servant of God. 113 00:07:29,700 --> 00:07:33,500 And how fitting is it for the Holy Spirit to include two 114 00:07:33,500 --> 00:07:38,500 additional teachings, two parables in Mark that are short. 115 00:07:38,500 --> 00:07:43,800 Yes, but also dealing with the theme of work in this text. 116 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:48,600 It is because yes we are also going to see Jesus as the 117 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:51,700 perfect servant but as our example in service as well. 118 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:57,500 And so with this book we have something more for us in the 119 00:07:57,500 --> 00:08:01,400 lane of serving our God. So this is not, this is not an 120 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:03,700 accident here. This is for those who say, I 121 00:08:03,700 --> 00:08:06,500 want to I want to be effective for the Lord. 122 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:09,400 I truly want to bear for. I don't want to waste my time. 123 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:12,800 I don't want to waste my energy. This is for you. 124 00:08:13,300 --> 00:08:17,300 And as you look at it with me, your realize that not only are 125 00:08:17,300 --> 00:08:20,300 there two sides, but there is an emphasis, the emphasis here is 126 00:08:20,300 --> 00:08:22,300 not human responsibility, though. 127 00:08:22,300 --> 00:08:25,300 It is included. It's God. 128 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:31,700 It's God's work. God's hand God's mind, God's 129 00:08:31,700 --> 00:08:35,400 wisdom, God's timing. And so let's do this together. 130 00:08:35,700 --> 00:08:40,200 We will look at first the human responsibility and he said in 131 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,299 verse 26. The kingdom of God is, as if a 132 00:08:43,308 --> 00:08:47,500 man should scatter seed on the ground, you were there. 133 00:08:47,500 --> 00:08:50,300 When we learn about the parable is Surah where you not remember 134 00:08:50,300 --> 00:08:52,700 what Jesus said to his disciples when they proved that, they 135 00:08:52,700 --> 00:08:54,900 could not understand what that Parable was all about. 136 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,900 He said earlier in the same chapter and verse 13 and he said 137 00:08:58,900 --> 00:09:01,800 to them, do you not understand this Parable? 138 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,400 How then will you understand all the parables? 139 00:09:06,100 --> 00:09:09,700 In other words, the parable of the sower, which deals with the 140 00:09:09,700 --> 00:09:13,700 responsibility, of how we hear the word of God holds key 141 00:09:13,700 --> 00:09:18,800 interpretational ideas for The Parables, that Jesus would teach 142 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:21,700 from then on. And so, we have to understand 143 00:09:21,700 --> 00:09:25,400 with the parable, the shore, and our, and the backdrop that What 144 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:28,400 we learned from then applies to this so that helps us 145 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,800 understanding crack a little bit of this quote code. 146 00:09:31,100 --> 00:09:35,600 Number one, we know that the man here speaks of the one who has 147 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:40,200 the truth and plants it who has the truth and gives it and 148 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,400 offers it and proclaims it. We understand that the seed is 149 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:46,200 the word of God Incorruptible pure. 150 00:09:47,000 --> 00:09:49,800 And we understand also that the ground here speaks of the hearts 151 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:53,200 of men. And so here we have a sower 152 00:09:53,300 --> 00:09:57,400 going out, planting the gospel planting God's word in the 153 00:09:57,400 --> 00:10:02,400 hearts of people. And what we see here though is 154 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:05,900 that Jesus brings us to our memory again to emphasize a very 155 00:10:05,900 --> 00:10:10,100 important point. That growth in the kingdom of 156 00:10:10,108 --> 00:10:12,200 God, fruit. And the people that we are 157 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:15,600 ministering to our Ministries being blessed by the Holy Spirit 158 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:19,800 and people being blessed by. It is completely Inseparable 159 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:23,300 from the implementation and the application and the faithfulness 160 00:10:23,300 --> 00:10:28,100 to the word of God, growth ain't happening without God's word. 161 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:31,700 That's why he's here in the Forefront of this, Parable. 162 00:10:32,500 --> 00:10:35,400 You and I have to understand that Jesus is bringing this to 163 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:38,300 our minds because for the Servants of God, there will be a 164 00:10:38,300 --> 00:10:42,600 constant temptation. To rely on. 165 00:10:44,200 --> 00:10:47,300 Secondary matters as the substance of her gospel 166 00:10:47,300 --> 00:10:54,000 persuasion. and so people think this from time to time and this 167 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:59,100 obstructs that well you know, if I if I just dress a certain way 168 00:11:00,100 --> 00:11:03,200 if I speak a certain way, if I'm more eloquent, if I'm more 169 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:08,600 intelligent, if I have more of a philosophical flare, if if I'm 170 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:14,000 more funny, if I'm more laid-back, if I have more of a 171 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:18,000 pedigree, if I am more educated with current events and 172 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,300 politics. If I smile more, if I smile 173 00:11:21,300 --> 00:11:23,600 less, if my hair is this with my hair? 174 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:28,600 Is that way, if more approachable, and whatever the 175 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:30,100 case may be. Now let's magnetize a 176 00:11:30,108 --> 00:11:33,800 corporately. if our service is geared, towards more 177 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:36,600 contemporary if our services more traditional, if we start at 178 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:40,500 10 a.m. if we start at 1 p.m., if we have more natural light, 179 00:11:40,500 --> 00:11:45,100 if we have more dim and cozy lights, If we have more 180 00:11:45,100 --> 00:11:49,400 activities, if the preacher dresses, this way, he dresses, 181 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:50,700 that way, if the worship. He looks like that. 182 00:11:50,700 --> 00:11:54,100 The worship looks like this. If we do all these things then, 183 00:11:54,100 --> 00:11:57,200 surely the gospel will be more acceptable. 184 00:11:58,400 --> 00:12:03,600 And there will be more growth. Was verse 26 is all about is, 185 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,700 all you need is God's word. That's what Jesus is saying. 186 00:12:08,800 --> 00:12:13,200 All you need is God's word. Preyed upon Faithfully. 187 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:17,900 Handled boldly, declared dealt with, with patience, and 188 00:12:17,900 --> 00:12:22,300 compassion, and love. All you need is to scatter the 189 00:12:22,300 --> 00:12:28,600 seed and that is the basis for the Harvest to come. you can't 190 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:33,600 have a harvest without this word and the Bible, testifies of 191 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:37,100 itself concerning the great power and might that it has and 192 00:12:37,100 --> 00:12:42,200 what it can produce in the recipients heart, the recipients 193 00:12:42,200 --> 00:12:47,900 heart, there was a time when there was a pastor Or Prophet 194 00:12:48,300 --> 00:12:51,100 who is ministering in a time when there are other so-called 195 00:12:51,100 --> 00:12:54,400 prophets who claim to speak on behalf of the Lord. 196 00:12:54,500 --> 00:12:59,000 And the Lord gives commentary on how these false Messengers 197 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:03,400 operated and what they depended on and comparison to those who 198 00:13:03,400 --> 00:13:06,700 are faithful messengers of his, I want to show you that in 199 00:13:06,700 --> 00:13:19,300 Jeremiah 23 as go to the Old Testament briefly Jeremiah 23. 200 00:13:21,100 --> 00:13:32,100 And meet me here in verse 28. The Lord speaks to the prophet 201 00:13:32,100 --> 00:13:34,500 and says, let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream. 202 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:37,500 But let him. Who has my word, speak my word 203 00:13:37,500 --> 00:13:40,800 Faithfully. What a straw in common with 204 00:13:40,800 --> 00:13:45,800 wheat, declares the Lord. So, what you had in this time 205 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:48,300 were false prophets who were claimed to speak on behalf of 206 00:13:48,300 --> 00:13:53,100 God, but the substance of their message was subjective 207 00:13:53,100 --> 00:13:57,900 experience. they would claim to have visions or dreams in the 208 00:13:57,900 --> 00:14:00,500 night and then they would come to an audience and they would 209 00:14:00,700 --> 00:14:05,800 try to convey some kind of Message from God that was for 210 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:07,400 them. That was obviously false and 211 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:08,500 something that they came up with. 212 00:14:08,500 --> 00:14:10,200 It was something that they conjured up from their own 213 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:14,000 imagination and for the naive and The Superficial, it worked. 214 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:17,100 It was attractive, there was something mysterious about it 215 00:14:17,300 --> 00:14:20,800 and they seem to be God's men because look, God speaking to 216 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:25,100 them and through them to us or surely they are someone special 217 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:30,800 And we see here that there is this great hype around, 218 00:14:31,300 --> 00:14:36,300 phenomena Paranormal Activity, Supernatural things occurring. 219 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:38,600 And this is what was drawing a crowd. 220 00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:41,300 This is what was swaying. The people away from the true 221 00:14:41,300 --> 00:14:43,800 and living God. And then he makes a distinction, 222 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:47,000 the Lord says, but my messengers, my ministers, my 223 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:51,800 servants, they rely completely on my word on my word, they see 224 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:55,600 that the word is sufficient. You see the struggle today? 225 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,900 Among Believers is not so much, whether the word is infallible. 226 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,400 I believe today, the greatest struggle among Believers is 227 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:06,600 whether or not the word of God is sufficient. 228 00:15:07,500 --> 00:15:12,600 Is it enough? Is it enough to save my children 229 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:16,800 and to preserve them throughout this wicked generation? 230 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:22,000 Is it enough to draw in a twisted and corrupt culture to 231 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,800 saving faith? Is it enough to see this local 232 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:30,400 church grow with true disciples or does it need some help? 233 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:37,200 Should we not add some hint of subjective experience or some 234 00:15:37,200 --> 00:15:41,200 kind of a spectacle or some kind of cultural credibility? 235 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:49,800 Jeremiah says, My word is enough and those who are Faithfully, 236 00:15:50,100 --> 00:15:53,800 proclaiming my word are those who are mine, and then he makes 237 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:57,300 this metaphorical picture. What a straw in common with 238 00:15:57,300 --> 00:16:02,300 wheat, declares the Lord straw is the, the waste that comes 239 00:16:02,300 --> 00:16:05,200 from wheat. It's the shouts of the stuff 240 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:06,900 that you disregard holds no value. 241 00:16:07,000 --> 00:16:09,200 It's to be trampled upon it. In fact, it's supposed to be 242 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,300 burned, there's no nutritional substance. 243 00:16:12,300 --> 00:16:14,300 There's nothing that can offer the consumer. 244 00:16:15,500 --> 00:16:17,600 And that is what he Likens to these prophets. 245 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:21,300 Who rely on dreams? It doesn't do anything for 246 00:16:21,300 --> 00:16:24,500 anybody. It isn't produced life, there 247 00:16:24,500 --> 00:16:27,700 isn't nourishment, there aren't ingredients in that that can 248 00:16:27,700 --> 00:16:34,500 actually bring about change. But uh, my word my word is like 249 00:16:34,500 --> 00:16:38,000 wheat. There is something in my word 250 00:16:38,000 --> 00:16:41,600 that actually can contribute life-giving power to those who 251 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,800 are willing to eat it, and take it and receive it. 252 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:50,700 My word has value. My word has sustenance, my word 253 00:16:50,700 --> 00:16:55,600 can supply, my word can change, my word can make you grow my 254 00:16:55,600 --> 00:17:01,700 word, my word alone. And so you see that those who 255 00:17:01,700 --> 00:17:04,599 are lying anything, but the word are really relying on nothing. 256 00:17:06,599 --> 00:17:10,400 And God adds to this, he expands on the thought of his word and 257 00:17:10,400 --> 00:17:15,599 verse 29 is not my word like a fire declares the Lord and like 258 00:17:15,599 --> 00:17:18,300 a hammer that breaks the Rock in pieces. 259 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:25,700 What does fire do? Fire cleanses it consumes it 260 00:17:25,700 --> 00:17:28,900 overwhelms. It brings warmth it illuminates. 261 00:17:30,700 --> 00:17:33,600 Fires of force with many many outcomes. 262 00:17:34,100 --> 00:17:37,300 It's hard to ignore. It's hard to come in contact 263 00:17:37,300 --> 00:17:40,500 with fire without something happening to that very object. 264 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:44,300 My word is like fire. Not your dreams. 265 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:47,600 Not your Miracles Miracles. Can't do this. 266 00:17:48,500 --> 00:17:51,300 Motivational speeches from secular entrepreneurs. 267 00:17:51,300 --> 00:17:55,000 Can't do this. Pop's, I kept psychology, can't 268 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:56,600 do this. My word is like a fire. 269 00:17:56,700 --> 00:18:00,100 Then he goes on to say, it's like a hammer, like a hammer, 270 00:18:00,700 --> 00:18:03,900 what does the hammer do? What we read it breaks it breaks 271 00:18:03,900 --> 00:18:08,000 resistance. It crushes that, which is 272 00:18:08,000 --> 00:18:13,600 undesirable. Undesirable in US, my word, 273 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:17,100 breaks down, Pride it shatters Envy. 274 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:23,300 It brings to nothing to find powder, lust and covetousness 275 00:18:23,700 --> 00:18:27,500 and jealousy. And impatience and murmuring and 276 00:18:27,500 --> 00:18:32,800 complaining my word destroys. That it eradicates it. 277 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:36,100 Oh, but a hammer does more than destroy if you have it in the 278 00:18:36,100 --> 00:18:40,200 right hand, it can also build It can construct and he wrecked, it 279 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:43,600 can create and surely the word of God does that. 280 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:47,700 After it does destroy wants to build something in you, and it 281 00:18:47,700 --> 00:18:50,900 wants to build in you that which nothing else can offer, you 282 00:18:51,100 --> 00:18:58,000 Holiness, loveliness godliness, and all those wonderful fruit of 283 00:18:58,008 --> 00:19:01,600 the holy spirit that we know of in Galatians builds. 284 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:04,800 Again, let me say nothing else can do. 285 00:19:04,900 --> 00:19:06,700 What the word of God Alone can do. 286 00:19:07,500 --> 00:19:09,500 And, and here's why this is important. 287 00:19:09,500 --> 00:19:12,500 God gives this truth in the book of Jeremiah. 288 00:19:12,500 --> 00:19:15,000 Why? Because it has reached its peak, 289 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:19,500 the nation has reached its peak of apostasy, you had the nation 290 00:19:19,500 --> 00:19:21,600 of Israel. Turning their back on God, 291 00:19:21,600 --> 00:19:25,300 bowing down before idols. And it's now reached a boiling 292 00:19:25,300 --> 00:19:27,200 point where God says enough is enough. 293 00:19:27,200 --> 00:19:31,000 I'm sending the Babylonians to take you out and it is at that 294 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:33,900 time, that the spiritual climate was so bad. 295 00:19:34,100 --> 00:19:40,500 That this truth comes to us. Why to reassure and re-establish 296 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,300 the prophet. And those who are faithful to 297 00:19:44,300 --> 00:19:46,900 God in their faith in the word of God. 298 00:19:49,300 --> 00:19:50,900 This is the only thing that's going to work. 299 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:52,200 This is the only thing that's going to win. 300 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:55,200 This is the only thing that will preserve and produce. 301 00:19:55,500 --> 00:19:59,600 It's my word and what you have and I have to understand in 302 00:19:59,600 --> 00:20:03,800 Mark, chapter 4 verse 26. Remember, I'm speaking to those 303 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:06,200 who want to see God's kingdom grow. 304 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:10,500 That's your desire. Believe the word of God. 305 00:20:11,300 --> 00:20:14,700 Believe that it is enough. Believe that we don't need any 306 00:20:14,700 --> 00:20:16,700 other gimmicks. We don't need any other tricks. 307 00:20:17,100 --> 00:20:20,800 That if this is given to a people that in due time, 308 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:23,400 something will happen. This is the human 309 00:20:23,400 --> 00:20:25,900 responsibility. This is the human 310 00:20:25,900 --> 00:20:27,200 responsibility. Well, is that it? 311 00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:30,200 Well, it's not it because we continue here and quickly go 312 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:34,600 from Human agency. To something else that now comes 313 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:39,900 into operation and it's found in verse 27, he sleeps and Rises 314 00:20:39,900 --> 00:20:43,500 night and day and the seed sprouts and grows. 315 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:50,100 He knows not how you won't find that in any other gospel account 316 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:54,700 only here in mark and it is one of the most refreshing Parables 317 00:20:54,700 --> 00:20:56,700 when it comes to serving the lord. 318 00:20:56,700 --> 00:20:59,100 Jesus Christ. Here's what happens. 319 00:20:59,400 --> 00:21:05,000 The man plants the seed. He goes home and he sleeps and 320 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:08,000 this is just a summarizing way of saying he just went about his 321 00:21:08,000 --> 00:21:10,200 daily routine. He went to bed. 322 00:21:10,300 --> 00:21:12,700 He woke up, he had breakfast. He worked. 323 00:21:12,700 --> 00:21:14,200 He picked up the kids from school. 324 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:16,900 He came back, spend time with his family, went back to bed, 325 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,500 repeat and day after day night. After night, he was doing this. 326 00:21:20,500 --> 00:21:23,900 And while this was going on, there was a seed that was buried 327 00:21:23,900 --> 00:21:26,700 some time ago and it is germinating. 328 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:33,900 And it is sprouting. And it is growing. and the key 329 00:21:33,900 --> 00:21:37,100 phrase in this versus as we are now, exploring the Divine 330 00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:42,400 sovereignty aspect of God's work being multiplied and growing He 331 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:46,100 knows not how. He doesn't know. 332 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:51,200 Even with our Advanced science today, scientists can't fully 333 00:21:51,200 --> 00:21:52,800 comprehend. The complexity is when this 334 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:57,300 little seed that goes into the Earth and the right soil can 335 00:21:57,300 --> 00:22:00,700 germinate, and become this giant oak tree, that it just hard to 336 00:22:00,708 --> 00:22:04,400 comprehend fully. And we see here that there is an 337 00:22:04,408 --> 00:22:10,400 appeal to mystery, he knows not how is intended to tell us that 338 00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:13,100 he has. Absolutely, not just no 339 00:22:13,100 --> 00:22:16,500 knowledge of how it occurs but no contribution to it. 340 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:21,100 He's going about his own Affairs, he's doing what he's 341 00:22:21,100 --> 00:22:25,700 doing and the seed is doing what it's supposed to be doing, and 342 00:22:25,700 --> 00:22:28,400 this is exactly what the Lord is trying to communicate. 343 00:22:30,100 --> 00:22:33,600 The growth that you want to see in your ministry for the kingdom 344 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:36,100 of God. All over the Earth is dependent 345 00:22:36,100 --> 00:22:38,300 upon a source outside of yourself. 346 00:22:40,100 --> 00:22:43,600 Upon a work and upon a hand that is invisible to your site. 347 00:22:44,300 --> 00:22:48,000 It is something that you must learn to rest in. 348 00:22:49,500 --> 00:22:53,400 And what we see from this is that the pressure of producing 349 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,800 results is now. Off of us, the human 350 00:22:56,800 --> 00:22:58,600 responsibility has been taken care of. 351 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:03,200 Now, in verse 26, parents hear this, Let the burden. 352 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:09,400 Roll off your back. Pastors here this and let there 353 00:23:09,400 --> 00:23:13,500 be relief as week after week, you're going out and planting 354 00:23:13,500 --> 00:23:18,500 the word of God. The faithful evangelist that 355 00:23:18,500 --> 00:23:20,900 can't go anywhere without telling somebody about Jesus by 356 00:23:20,900 --> 00:23:26,400 seeing little fruit in it. Realize, realize that once you 357 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:30,400 drop that thing, all responsibility now is off of 358 00:23:30,400 --> 00:23:34,500 you. This is what the Lord is saying, 359 00:23:34,700 --> 00:23:38,500 he knows not how he doesn't comprehend. 360 00:23:39,900 --> 00:23:41,900 And he doesn't have anything to do with it. 361 00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,800 Well, if that's true then who is in charge of the growth. 362 00:23:46,500 --> 00:23:55,400 Look at verse 28, the Earth produces by itself, The phrase 363 00:23:55,400 --> 00:24:00,300 there by itself in the Greek, I may say it wrong. 364 00:24:00,300 --> 00:24:02,500 So, forgive me. Forgive me, YouTube. 365 00:24:04,300 --> 00:24:10,100 Automate has sound familiar. Automate has where we get the 366 00:24:10,100 --> 00:24:17,900 word in English automatic? The Earth produces by itself. 367 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:21,600 And there is only one place in the entire New Testament where 368 00:24:21,600 --> 00:24:24,100 this Greek word is used, can I show it to you? 369 00:24:24,500 --> 00:24:32,600 Go to Acts chapter 12 quickly, This is the account when Peter 370 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:35,500 was in prison. The church is praying praying 371 00:24:35,500 --> 00:24:38,300 desperately. Something Supernatural happens. 372 00:24:38,700 --> 00:24:40,900 An angel from the Lord comes wakes. 373 00:24:40,900 --> 00:24:45,100 Peter up tells him to get up and as they make their way towards 374 00:24:45,100 --> 00:24:53,300 the exit, something occurs here. In verse 10 of chapter 12, when 375 00:24:53,300 --> 00:24:58,900 they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to 376 00:24:58,900 --> 00:25:01,500 the Iron Gate leading into the city. 377 00:25:02,100 --> 00:25:08,700 It opened for them of its own accord, that phrase of its own 378 00:25:08,700 --> 00:25:14,300 accord automaton has And they went out and went along one 379 00:25:14,300 --> 00:25:18,200 street and immediately, the angel left them to places in the 380 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:20,200 entire New Testament, where this Greek word is use. 381 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:27,400 And so in the same way that this giant iron gate moved on its own 382 00:25:27,500 --> 00:25:31,300 accord implying, what there is no help. 383 00:25:31,300 --> 00:25:33,900 There was no assistance. There is no outside 384 00:25:33,900 --> 00:25:38,000 intervention. It just did its thing in the 385 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:39,700 pendant lie. Yes supernaturally but 386 00:25:39,700 --> 00:25:43,700 independently in the same way that's how this seed works. 387 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,800 This seed is unassisted the seed is independent. 388 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:54,200 The seed is moving and pushing and bring forth life without 389 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,700 anything else. Helping it it's automatic. 390 00:25:58,300 --> 00:26:01,700 You don't read of this farmer with a magnifying glass hanging 391 00:26:01,700 --> 00:26:05,300 over that bed of dirt yelling at it to grow. 392 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:07,600 He doesn't stick his hand in there and Meadow with the 393 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:12,300 Affairs, he's totally unaware. He's going about his business. 394 00:26:12,300 --> 00:26:14,400 While this seed it's doing is business. 395 00:26:15,300 --> 00:26:19,900 It's moving. Cracking life is coming. 396 00:26:20,500 --> 00:26:23,700 Drawing, nutrients. Pushing through Little Rock's 397 00:26:23,700 --> 00:26:26,300 and little Pebbles, it's coming to life. 398 00:26:27,000 --> 00:26:30,600 So does the word of God? So does the word of God? 399 00:26:31,500 --> 00:26:33,600 Here's what I'm trying to restore. 400 00:26:33,900 --> 00:26:39,000 Our faith in the Supernatural power of This Book of the truths 401 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:46,100 laced in this book, that when this seed Meats, good soil, when 402 00:26:46,100 --> 00:26:49,200 it is welcomed by an open heart, like we heard in the parable is 403 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:52,700 sore. This word is so powerful in that 404 00:26:52,700 --> 00:26:57,200 life that you can step away from it and trust that something will 405 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:02,300 happen to that soul. And again, I don't know what 406 00:27:02,300 --> 00:27:04,500 that does to you, but it helps me a lot. 407 00:27:05,300 --> 00:27:09,700 First it reminds me that I must concentrate and focus simply on 408 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:12,200 being faithful. And what I do with this word 409 00:27:12,700 --> 00:27:15,500 that when I sit across that coffee table, with a friend who 410 00:27:15,500 --> 00:27:20,800 is not saved and everything in me is trying to tell me to 411 00:27:20,800 --> 00:27:24,000 persuade him to Christ with different ways or means. 412 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,600 It's just realize that if I give him the seed, yes and wisdom. 413 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:29,100 Yes. In the right timing but the seed 414 00:27:29,100 --> 00:27:34,700 nonetheless, that that thing can do wonders, it can do wonders. 415 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,700 I don't need to be clever. I don't need to manipulate. 416 00:27:39,400 --> 00:27:43,400 I don't need to appeal to the emotions, just scatter the seed. 417 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:45,600 You know what? I love about this, this man does 418 00:27:45,600 --> 00:27:49,600 not lay anxiously at night. He does not Wonder, did I did I 419 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:52,500 use the right scattering technique, could I have been 420 00:27:52,500 --> 00:27:57,700 more precise Kevin more articulate, nothing of the sort. 421 00:27:58,300 --> 00:28:01,400 This neighbor doesn't ring his hands and then that midnight 422 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:04,800 hour ago, over to the fence and Peak over and see what's going 423 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:07,000 on in his neighbor's crop and compares. 424 00:28:08,100 --> 00:28:11,800 Nothing of the sort. He goes to sleep. 425 00:28:12,500 --> 00:28:17,100 He wakes up. He works goes about his Affairs 426 00:28:17,500 --> 00:28:20,300 and he sleeps again. Here's what I take from this. 427 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:23,500 Here's what I take and here's what you take for. 428 00:28:23,500 --> 00:28:27,800 The soul who Frets for the soul who wonders because from time to 429 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,000 time I know it. You can peek over into the 430 00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:33,600 little corner that God has designed for you in his Grand, 431 00:28:33,600 --> 00:28:36,600 Vineyard the one that he's called you to minister in the 432 00:28:36,600 --> 00:28:38,400 family that he has given to the children. 433 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:42,600 The spouse. The homeless shelter, wherever 434 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:44,800 you may be wherever God has placed you and think to 435 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:47,100 yourself. Am I doing this right? 436 00:28:48,400 --> 00:28:51,800 Am I doing enough? Do I need a switch up my 437 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:56,400 technique here? What, why aren't things 438 00:28:56,400 --> 00:29:00,200 happening? And here's what you take from 439 00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:02,700 this. Did you pray for Lee and 440 00:29:02,700 --> 00:29:04,200 Faithfully? Plant the seed? 441 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:14,100 Yes, go to sleep. Go to sleep and go about your 442 00:29:14,100 --> 00:29:17,700 Affairs and trust that the human responsibility has been 443 00:29:17,700 --> 00:29:20,300 performed. And now Divine sovereignty is at 444 00:29:20,300 --> 00:29:28,400 work but I want to know how You will never know how never. 445 00:29:29,500 --> 00:29:31,600 It is the glory of God to conceal a matter. 446 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:35,000 Proverbs tells us there is a measure of Glory in which God 447 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:38,200 conceals things that offends the intellectual. 448 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:42,500 But it is to the glory of God that he does not expose all his 449 00:29:42,500 --> 00:29:43,900 methods. All his ways. 450 00:29:44,300 --> 00:29:47,400 There are some measure of mystery that brings pleasure to 451 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:51,300 God and keeps God in that category of God and us as 452 00:29:51,300 --> 00:29:57,600 creature. so, as that seed goes in, Go to bed. 453 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:02,000 Go to bed with a smile on your face knowing that you've done 454 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:03,900 your part. Yeah. 455 00:30:03,900 --> 00:30:06,200 You might have dirt underneath your fingernails, but there is a 456 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:10,100 bigger and more mightier hand now, taking over, is it? 457 00:30:10,100 --> 00:30:14,000 That simple as that? He's I just yes, that's why it's 458 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:20,000 here. Yes, But there's more to say 459 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:23,700 there's more to add to this idea of the sovereignty of God as 460 00:30:23,700 --> 00:30:25,600 much as it's so simple and straightforward. 461 00:30:25,600 --> 00:30:28,700 There's there's deeper realizations of the sovereignty 462 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:33,200 of God in the work of Salvation. And sanctification that we must 463 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:36,200 understand. Let me give you two sub points 464 00:30:36,200 --> 00:30:38,400 to this category of divine sovereignty. 465 00:30:38,400 --> 00:30:42,300 Number one, God's work as you just heard, but I'm an expound 466 00:30:42,300 --> 00:30:46,400 on. It is mysteriously silent to us. 467 00:30:47,900 --> 00:30:53,100 It's mysteriously silent to us. If you have the new testament 468 00:30:53,100 --> 00:30:57,800 which I hope you do one of the most exciting studies and maybe 469 00:30:57,800 --> 00:30:59,500 this is just for me now because I'm reading through one of the 470 00:30:59,508 --> 00:31:01,800 most exciting studies that you can go on. 471 00:31:03,100 --> 00:31:07,100 Is the life of Solomon with that new testament dictionary by your 472 00:31:07,100 --> 00:31:10,600 side, and to see how it relates to our current Covenant. 473 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:14,100 One of the things that have moved my heart and reading those 474 00:31:14,100 --> 00:31:18,200 early chapters of First Kings of not just the mind of Solomon, 475 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:23,100 but the projects of Solomon, Is how the Bible describes the 476 00:31:23,108 --> 00:31:27,300 construction process of the temple of God. 477 00:31:28,300 --> 00:31:30,700 And how it relates to you and I being the Temple of the Holy 478 00:31:30,700 --> 00:31:33,700 Spirit today. Can I show it to you first Kings 479 00:31:33,700 --> 00:31:37,500 chapter 6? Look at this one verse with its 480 00:31:37,500 --> 00:31:51,000 glorious description of how this building project came about. 1st 481 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:56,600 Kings. Chapter 6. 482 00:32:01,300 --> 00:32:05,100 Look at this verse and pay attention to it, when the house 483 00:32:05,100 --> 00:32:09,800 was built. It was with stone prepared at 484 00:32:09,800 --> 00:32:13,700 the query. So that neither Hammer nor acts 485 00:32:13,700 --> 00:32:18,500 nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was being 486 00:32:18,500 --> 00:32:22,500 built. What an interesting thing for 487 00:32:22,500 --> 00:32:27,000 God to put in his word. So here's how it went in 488 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:31,400 Practical terms. The team that Solomon gathered 489 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:34,700 to build this project, we took many many years to accomplish 490 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:40,100 apart from the site of, where this Temple would be established 491 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:44,300 from a distance. He had his men work on the 492 00:32:44,300 --> 00:32:47,900 elements, so that there would be no sound heard among the common 493 00:32:47,900 --> 00:32:50,900 people in Jerusalem. And so, all the polishing, all 494 00:32:50,900 --> 00:32:54,400 the cutting, all the hammering, all the chiseling was done far 495 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:58,400 away where those sounds were not heard. they were not heard and 496 00:32:58,400 --> 00:33:02,900 at the right time, they would bring the right portions and 497 00:33:02,900 --> 00:33:10,000 with reverential rhythm and with great Elegance, one piece would 498 00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:14,900 be placed on another one element was placed on another in. 499 00:33:14,900 --> 00:33:20,000 It was fashioned over those months and over those years. and 500 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:23,700 if you had been living in Jerusalem at that time, and if 501 00:33:23,700 --> 00:33:28,900 you were a distracted person, You would not have realized what 502 00:33:28,900 --> 00:33:34,300 was going on most of the time, because there was silence. 503 00:33:35,500 --> 00:33:37,700 There was silence saying, brother. 504 00:33:37,700 --> 00:33:40,100 Whoa, why are you bringing this up? 505 00:33:42,000 --> 00:33:45,800 Solomon was behind this. You and I worship the one who 506 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:49,500 is, greater than Solomon. Whether you know it or not, he 507 00:33:49,500 --> 00:33:52,800 is and has been for the past 2000 years, building a temple. 508 00:33:55,200 --> 00:33:56,100 And, you know what's been happening. 509 00:33:56,100 --> 00:34:00,800 These past two thousand years. God's been at work. 510 00:34:02,200 --> 00:34:08,900 And oftentimes, it's silent. It's not immediately perceived. 511 00:34:09,699 --> 00:34:14,000 It's not easily, calculated. See what we have among the 512 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,300 people of God. Is this strange idea that? 513 00:34:16,300 --> 00:34:18,900 If the Lord is working, it has to be loud. 514 00:34:21,900 --> 00:34:24,199 There has to be a thunderous conviction. 515 00:34:25,500 --> 00:34:30,900 There must be a River of Tears. There must be an explosion of 516 00:34:30,900 --> 00:34:35,900 Miracles. Not so not so. 517 00:34:37,100 --> 00:34:41,600 What we see here is that as this Temple was being built, no sound 518 00:34:41,600 --> 00:34:47,900 was being heard. God works quietly a lot. 519 00:34:49,500 --> 00:34:53,600 And just like that seed was in the ground Beyond perception 520 00:34:53,800 --> 00:34:59,000 beyond the naked eye. So we see here that to the ear. 521 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:03,800 It was not necessarily registered of what was taking 522 00:35:03,800 --> 00:35:06,600 place, all that you would have seen was from time to time. 523 00:35:06,700 --> 00:35:10,600 There was more wall. More ground taken over. 524 00:35:12,100 --> 00:35:15,700 More things being fashioned, more elements around the worship 525 00:35:15,700 --> 00:35:18,300 of Israel that time being placed. 526 00:35:18,500 --> 00:35:24,600 You would see it periodically. You have no idea what's 527 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:26,600 happening in the people sitting beside you. 528 00:35:27,700 --> 00:35:29,700 You don't know what's happening in the people that you pass by 529 00:35:29,700 --> 00:35:33,600 in the people that you invest in or the people you have invested 530 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:37,100 in at some point in your life. You have no clue. 531 00:35:37,500 --> 00:35:42,700 It's not always loud. Oftentimes, it is being done in 532 00:35:42,700 --> 00:35:47,800 secret and that blesses me. That blesses me because God's 533 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:53,800 work, doesn't equate noise? And immediate progress, It's 534 00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:58,800 incremental, it's slow. It's not always strong it in 535 00:35:58,800 --> 00:36:03,000 your face. It's not always calculable and 536 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:05,700 measurable. Now, take that truth for your 537 00:36:05,700 --> 00:36:07,400 own life believer. Never mind, the person that 538 00:36:07,400 --> 00:36:10,300 you're investing, take it in your life and for your life. 539 00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:13,500 You have other believers who are agitated about their own growth, 540 00:36:13,500 --> 00:36:16,100 they're not seeing, they're not perceiving, they're not being 541 00:36:16,100 --> 00:36:19,900 able to measure, but what if God and surely, he is working 542 00:36:19,900 --> 00:36:24,000 quietly in you. What if he has slowly and 543 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:27,400 steadily building you? What if only in increments of 544 00:36:27,400 --> 00:36:30,500 perhaps, long periods of time? Will you look back and say there 545 00:36:30,500 --> 00:36:35,200 is something different about me? There is there's more Devotion 546 00:36:35,200 --> 00:36:38,200 to me, more Lovin, me more sacrifice more consistency in 547 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:42,800 me. Do not depend upon day-to-day 548 00:36:42,800 --> 00:36:47,300 evaluation of where you're at. It's not the most encouraging 549 00:36:47,300 --> 00:36:51,500 thing to do, but trust that if your heart is good, soil, that 550 00:36:51,500 --> 00:36:55,100 seed is doing something in you. It is. 551 00:36:55,400 --> 00:36:57,900 Well, I can't hear it, I can't. That's okay. 552 00:36:58,700 --> 00:37:01,900 God designed it, that way, God designed it that way, which 553 00:37:01,900 --> 00:37:05,700 brings me to the second. Sub-point that God's work is not 554 00:37:05,700 --> 00:37:10,600 only mysteriously silent to us, but God's work is always It's 555 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:15,600 always a process, go back to Mark, 4 verse 29. 556 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:24,500 First 28, rather the Earth produces by itself. 557 00:37:24,500 --> 00:37:32,700 First the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear 558 00:37:33,300 --> 00:37:38,400 spiritual success. Must not be gauged by sudden 559 00:37:38,400 --> 00:37:45,800 Lee's. by sudden Lee's Sometimes if we're not careful, even when 560 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:50,000 we come to the word of God, we can measure the effectiveness of 561 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:54,100 our efforts with this stunning examples that God has given us 562 00:37:54,100 --> 00:37:57,500 to his word and in his word. So we look at the moves of God 563 00:37:57,500 --> 00:38:00,800 that swept over cities and regions like Nineveh, where 564 00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:04,100 Jonah and a few words saw a Revival break out or we can look 565 00:38:04,100 --> 00:38:08,300 at instantaneous, conversions, like the great Apostle, Paul and 566 00:38:08,300 --> 00:38:10,600 we have every right to be inspired about what God can do 567 00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:14,700 in a moment, how he can. change things miraculously in the split 568 00:38:14,700 --> 00:38:18,100 second, but if we're not careful, We can Wonder. 569 00:38:18,100 --> 00:38:20,300 Well why, why are we not seeing the same? 570 00:38:21,700 --> 00:38:25,500 Am I not doing enough? Am I not praying enough? 571 00:38:25,500 --> 00:38:28,500 Am I not fasting enough? Am I not living holy enough? 572 00:38:30,700 --> 00:38:35,700 And yet Christ gives us the Son of God gives us a rule for 573 00:38:35,700 --> 00:38:39,900 service unto him. Slow and steady. 574 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:49,200 Slow and steady. In stages and God has no problem 575 00:38:49,200 --> 00:38:51,400 working in stages. If you want to clue, go to 576 00:38:51,400 --> 00:38:54,900 Genesis 1:1 of the things, you have to learn right from the 577 00:38:54,900 --> 00:38:57,900 beginning of God. Creating the world is, he's a 578 00:38:57,900 --> 00:39:01,900 God, that works in stages. And guess what, every step of 579 00:39:01,900 --> 00:39:05,900 the way he goes, it is good. It is good. 580 00:39:07,300 --> 00:39:10,300 It is good for us. Even the most fatal car. 581 00:39:10,300 --> 00:39:13,000 That's not good. I'm still rough around the 582 00:39:13,000 --> 00:39:15,800 edges. That person it's been a long 583 00:39:15,800 --> 00:39:16,800 time. They've been enough Bible 584 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:20,800 studies and what I see is not good, not good enough at least 585 00:39:21,900 --> 00:39:27,200 That's not how God things. It is good and we see here. 586 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:34,800 That these stages encourage us to be patient to be patient. 587 00:39:34,800 --> 00:39:37,500 If God is a god of process that we must be his servants. 588 00:39:37,500 --> 00:39:40,600 Who are patient? you know people sometimes ask me 589 00:39:40,607 --> 00:39:45,200 what's preaching like what's preaching like what is it about 590 00:39:45,200 --> 00:39:48,700 preaching and they asked these different questions. 591 00:39:48,700 --> 00:39:51,200 And one of those questions has to deal with the delivery. 592 00:39:52,700 --> 00:39:56,800 Do you always feel empowered by God, you always sends his grace 593 00:39:56,800 --> 00:39:59,700 and his assistants while you're declaring his word and I give 594 00:39:59,700 --> 00:40:02,000 different answers and stuff. But can I tell you over the 595 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:05,300 years when it comes to the ministry of preaching and this 596 00:40:05,300 --> 00:40:07,600 isn't just limited to preaching at witnessing whatever the case 597 00:40:07,600 --> 00:40:10,400 may be, any kind of conveying of the word of God. 598 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:15,300 The greatest struggle is not inquiring of God for greater 599 00:40:15,300 --> 00:40:18,700 measures of power and wondering if it was powerful enough or 600 00:40:18,700 --> 00:40:23,600 not, I'm just being honest. The greatest struggle is what 601 00:40:23,800 --> 00:40:29,300 Paul told Timothy. In second, Timothy 4, I want to 602 00:40:29,308 --> 00:40:31,400 show it to you as we close in a moment. 603 00:40:31,900 --> 00:40:33,900 Look at verse 2 of second. Timothy 4. 604 00:40:40,100 --> 00:40:44,100 If you want to know, all the letters that begin with t are 605 00:40:44,800 --> 00:40:46,300 gathered together in the New Testament. 606 00:40:46,300 --> 00:40:52,100 So if Thessalonians and Timothy Then tied us second Timothy 4:2, 607 00:40:52,800 --> 00:40:57,200 you know, this preach, the word preach, the word be ready in 608 00:40:57,200 --> 00:41:01,400 season and out of season, reprove, rebuke and exhort with 609 00:41:01,400 --> 00:41:05,600 complete patients and teaching. So, preach the word rebuke, 610 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:08,800 that's uncomfortable. Sometimes that's uncomfortable 611 00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:12,000 to look at a sea of people and their faces and say you need to 612 00:41:12,008 --> 00:41:16,500 repent. Teach every week trying to find 613 00:41:16,500 --> 00:41:19,100 gold every week, trying to prepare a meal for people to 614 00:41:19,100 --> 00:41:24,000 eat. Reprove in season out us whether 615 00:41:24,000 --> 00:41:27,700 you feel like it or not you witness you share you declare 616 00:41:28,400 --> 00:41:30,600 but those are not the difficult Parts. 617 00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:34,000 You know, what's a difficult part with complete patients? 618 00:41:35,900 --> 00:41:40,500 That's the hard part. With complete patience. 619 00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:43,600 Implying what you're not going to see what you want to see 620 00:41:43,600 --> 00:41:48,000 right away. You're not going to see all that 621 00:41:48,000 --> 00:41:51,000 you aspire to see all that you dream to see in your children. 622 00:41:51,000 --> 00:41:53,600 I know we all want Apostles by the age of 10. 623 00:41:57,000 --> 00:42:01,100 We want a thriving Ministry where everybody is discipling 624 00:42:01,100 --> 00:42:05,000 somebody and everybody signing up to be a foreign missionary 625 00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:08,300 and everybody is sacrificially serving their Community all we 626 00:42:08,300 --> 00:42:13,000 want it. Paul says, be patient Timothy. 627 00:42:13,200 --> 00:42:15,400 I've been in this preaching thing for quite some time and 628 00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:16,400 you're not going to see everything. 629 00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:21,300 You want to see right away. Trust the process. 630 00:42:22,700 --> 00:42:24,600 Trust the process with your family. 631 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:26,400 Trust the process with your spouse. 632 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:28,900 Trust the process with your friends. 633 00:42:28,900 --> 00:42:33,200 Trust the process with your congregation, trust the process. 634 00:42:34,400 --> 00:42:36,700 Don't deviate from the word. Don't deviate from the truth, 635 00:42:36,700 --> 00:42:38,300 don't deviate from the principles of God's word. 636 00:42:38,300 --> 00:42:42,400 You have nothing else to bank on God's word in God's word alone. 637 00:42:44,100 --> 00:42:46,200 And we come to the last verse of, Jesus words in this, 638 00:42:46,200 --> 00:42:49,700 Parable. But when the grain is ripe, I 639 00:42:49,700 --> 00:42:54,300 once he puts it in the sickle, because the Harvest has has come 640 00:42:57,700 --> 00:43:01,500 In other words, the same man who sowed the seed. 641 00:43:03,200 --> 00:43:06,600 And you stepped away, and the increase came from God and he 642 00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:09,700 knows not how and he can't take credit and he can't comprehend 643 00:43:09,700 --> 00:43:13,400 it. That same man in Full Circle 644 00:43:13,600 --> 00:43:16,200 will come back and enjoy the Harvest. 645 00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:23,300 And he will benefit in some way of what he has done of what God 646 00:43:23,300 --> 00:43:26,500 has done. And brothers and sisters to some 647 00:43:26,500 --> 00:43:28,800 degree you and I can relate to this verse. 648 00:43:28,900 --> 00:43:31,000 You're sitting in that reality right now. 649 00:43:32,400 --> 00:43:35,500 You enjoyed hearing these peoples voices, the voice of the 650 00:43:35,500 --> 00:43:40,600 redeemed, The Fellowship of the saved, the comfort of the 651 00:43:40,600 --> 00:43:45,000 saints, that is the Harvest, and it's a growing Harvest. 652 00:43:45,700 --> 00:43:50,400 And you, and I, if we have any contribution in this process, is 653 00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:54,100 that at some point, a seed was placed at some point, the light 654 00:43:54,100 --> 00:43:56,100 of our witness touch somebody else. 655 00:43:56,400 --> 00:43:59,900 And as God is bringing the increase, we get to benefit from 656 00:43:59,900 --> 00:44:02,600 it. Although God is doing the most 657 00:44:02,600 --> 00:44:04,600 work, if not all work, we know that. 658 00:44:05,100 --> 00:44:08,000 And here we are enjoying one another's presence and God is 659 00:44:08,000 --> 00:44:12,600 adding to this number and adding to the church globally until the 660 00:44:12,600 --> 00:44:16,500 final Harvest is come and that Sickle comes over the whole 661 00:44:16,500 --> 00:44:20,100 globe and gathers us into the barn house of Glory. 662 00:44:21,200 --> 00:44:24,400 And we enjoy what God has done for all of eternity. 663 00:44:24,400 --> 00:44:29,300 As we are by each other's side forever and ever and ever. 664 00:44:31,000 --> 00:44:33,500 Here's what I want to drive into your heart as we close. 665 00:44:35,900 --> 00:44:41,400 In this day of age, with your family, with this ministry, with 666 00:44:41,400 --> 00:44:45,100 your co-workers, with those who watch your social media, 667 00:44:45,100 --> 00:44:48,000 whatever the case may be, all you need is the word. 668 00:44:49,200 --> 00:44:53,200 And as you do that, rest smile a little bit, would you? 669 00:44:55,400 --> 00:44:57,300 Don't beat yourself up all the time. 670 00:44:58,300 --> 00:45:01,900 Don't believe everything. You see believe that if this 671 00:45:01,900 --> 00:45:04,600 word was given and that Heart Is Right? 672 00:45:05,300 --> 00:45:08,800 A harvest is coming a harvest is coming. 673 00:45:09,500 --> 00:45:11,600 And when it comes, God will receive glory. 674 00:45:12,200 --> 00:45:16,900 And in the meantime worship, while you wait, love while you 675 00:45:16,900 --> 00:45:19,500 wait open, your arms while you wait. 676 00:45:20,000 --> 00:45:23,000 And trust that the right time, you will see it. 677 00:45:23,000 --> 00:45:27,100 And when you see it, You'll give God praise for it. 678 00:45:27,700 --> 00:45:43,900 Let's worship and pray. Lord, we come to you. 679 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:53,100 We thank you for this Parable with such Simplicity. 680 00:45:53,200 --> 00:45:58,300 We are reminded we are reminded that we can have relief and we 681 00:45:58,300 --> 00:46:02,800 can lean on the sovereignty of God in all our efforts. 682 00:46:03,500 --> 00:46:05,900 And what we think about this ministry, Maranatha Bible 683 00:46:05,900 --> 00:46:11,000 Church, And we pray that by your great Mercy that you would keep 684 00:46:11,000 --> 00:46:14,800 us faithful to the seed. And that there would never be a 685 00:46:14,808 --> 00:46:16,900 time where we would rely on dreams. 686 00:46:18,200 --> 00:46:21,300 That we were to rely on an outside force, or power or 687 00:46:21,300 --> 00:46:25,000 persuasion or captivating tactic. 688 00:46:27,300 --> 00:46:32,400 Lord, Keep Us close to the word. Lord, for the parents who over 689 00:46:32,400 --> 00:46:35,100 the years or who are currently investing in their children with 690 00:46:35,100 --> 00:46:39,100 the word. And will perhaps lose sleep at 691 00:46:39,100 --> 00:46:41,800 night, especially as their children, come to an age where 692 00:46:41,800 --> 00:46:46,400 they have more Independence. I pray for rest. 693 00:46:47,700 --> 00:46:51,700 I pray for trust. I pray that there would never be 694 00:46:51,700 --> 00:46:56,200 a thought from the enemy to say you did not do enough. 695 00:46:57,500 --> 00:47:03,000 And you have failed your family. Lord, we just ask. 696 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:06,100 That not only would we be patient with the process of 697 00:47:06,100 --> 00:47:10,200 those who are outside of us. That we would also realize that 698 00:47:10,200 --> 00:47:12,100 you were silently working within us. 699 00:47:13,800 --> 00:47:18,400 And though, we don't see this spontaneous works of growth 700 00:47:18,400 --> 00:47:21,700 these spurts. When we day-by-day feed, our 701 00:47:21,700 --> 00:47:24,500 souls with the truth, help us realize that it is never in 702 00:47:24,500 --> 00:47:27,700 vain. And change is coming. 703 00:47:28,700 --> 00:47:31,800 You will renew us and you will change us. 704 00:47:32,700 --> 00:47:35,100 Thank you. That this word has automatic 705 00:47:35,100 --> 00:47:38,500 power. That when it is delivered and 706 00:47:38,500 --> 00:47:44,300 planted. The DNA promises production. 707 00:47:45,500 --> 00:47:51,000 Well, we worship you as we have reinstalled our faith and trust 708 00:47:51,000 --> 00:47:54,600 in the sufficiency of the word of God be magnified as we 709 00:47:54,600 --> 00:47:56,900 worship you. Now not just for what you've 710 00:47:56,900 --> 00:47:59,200 done in us, what you're going to do, what? 711 00:47:59,200 --> 00:48:02,700 All those years of faithful teaching and preaching, and 712 00:48:02,700 --> 00:48:07,300 studying, and discipling, and counseling will do because you 713 00:48:07,300 --> 00:48:10,300 promised, something will come in, Jesus name. 714 00:48:10,300 --> 00:48:13,000 We pray. Amen, let's stand and Worship 715 00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:13,500 the Lord.